Manchester, NH: Murder victim was also allegedly a victim of domestic violence

November 6th, 2010 8:15 pm ET
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A 27 year-old mother of three was trying to get away from violence and abuse by moving into her own apartment at 28 Dutton Street before a violent attack killed her.

Stephanie Campbell was living with her alleged abuser, Anthony Santos and their two sons at 144 Lake Avenue, but obtained a restraining order against Santos and took her two sons to a new apartment, and hopefully to a new life free from violence and abuse, when her life was cut short Tuesday night at the hands of Santos’ new girlfriend.

See Manchester mother of three murdered; police search for killer.

Manchester Police allege that 22 year-old Molly Martel of 58 Massabesic St, Apt.6, and also of 18 Blackstone Court, Merrimack stabbed Campbell four times about the head and abdomen and killed her with a wound to the chest according to a press release by the Attorney General’s Office and the Manchester Police Department.

The murder remains under investigation as police detectives are in New York trying to bring Martel back to New Hampshire to face the second-degree murder charge. See Suspect in Manchester murder arrested in N.Y.

Meanwhile, Campbell’s ex-boyfriend and father of her two son’s, Anthony Santos was in court Thursday arguing that the assault and stalking charges against him should be dismissed because, “she is dead; so drop the charges,” according the New Hampshire Union Leader. He added that his ex-girlfriend is someone, “that doesn’t even exist anymore.”

In September Santos was charged with assaulting Campbell and one of her two sons after Santos allegedly threw a lamp at her that hit her in the nose and then bounced into the neck of the 10 year-old boy. When he appeared at Manchester District Court on those charges, Santos was barred from contact with Campbell and their son a Wednesday Union Leader story reported.

Santos, 31, pleaded not guilty in Manchester District Court Thursday to two stalking charges alleging that he was within a few feet of Campbell Tuesday in her 28 Dutton Street apartment. Friends of Campbell have said Santos accompanied Martel to the apartment the night Campbell was murdered according to the Union Leader.

When he was arrested on the new stalking charges Wednesday, the Union Leader said Santos had been free on $2,000 cash or surety from the September charges, and that a trial had been scheduled for January 4. Prosecutors, however, filed a bail revocation motion for Santos, which was heard yesterday.

Police are asking anyone with information about this crime to call the Manchester police at 668-8711 or Manchester Crimeline at 624-4040. The Crimeline can calso be reached on the Web at Manchestercrimeline.org.

The Manchester Crimeline will pay up to $2500 in cash for anonymous information that leads to the arrest and indictment of the perpetrator of this crime or any crime according to the Manchester blog’s post of the Manchester Crimeline Crime of the Week.